Gallions Reach 1928

James McBey made this watercolour, Gallions Reach, sometime in the early 20th Century. The subdued palette and fluid brushwork give it a dreamy, almost melancholic feel, which speaks to me of the quiet moments an artist might find when lost in the act of painting. Look closely at the way McBey has layered the washes of colour. Notice how the water seems to ripple and reflect the sky above, with broad horizontal strokes of blue and grey. Then, see how the clouds are rendered with soft, blurry edges, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. There's a beautiful tension between the precision of the boats on the horizon and the looseness of the sky and water – a kind of visual push and pull that keeps the eye moving. This piece reminds me of the seascapes of J.M.W. Turner, who also captured the sublime power of nature with expressive brushwork and atmospheric effects. But where Turner's paintings often feel epic and dramatic, McBey's watercolour has a more intimate, contemplative quality. For me, it's about capturing a fleeting moment of beauty and finding poetry in the everyday.